Strategic Action Five-Year Plan

Student Success | Student Well-Being | Leadership & Capacity Building | Coherent & Effective Systems | Family & Community Partnerships

EL Student Access

Related key findings from the 2022 EL data synthesis:

• ELs in APS who are reclassified as English proficient have similar course-taking opportunities and similarly strong academic performance relative to students who were never identified for EL 1
• Conversely, students who are currently classified as ELs have less access to advanced coursework and weaker academic performance than their never-EL peers.
• Across nearly all grades, students spend the most time at an intermediate level of English language proficiency, specifically Level 3: Developing.

1 Consistent with standard APS reporting practices, “reclassified” ELs are those who are no longer identified with any English language proficiency level, having been at Level 6 for 4 years of monitoring

Goal 1: Ensure ELs receive high-quality instruction in English language development that spans general-education and content-area classes and that:

• Integrates the four domains of language (i.e., listening, speaking, reading, writing);
• leverages and builds on ELs’ home language as a resource; and
• responds to EL student characteristics (e.g., grade level, language background, prior educational experiences).

Goal 2: Leverage the Dual Language Immersion programs as a resource for supporting Spanish-speaking ELs’ linguistic and academic growth.

Goal 3: Increase ELs’ access to rigorous content and provide instructional support for their participation and achievement in coursework.

Goal 4: Implement regular EL-student-performance monitoring through a process that uses formative and summative assessments to identify and take steps related to language development and academic achievement.

Across the district, ELs at English language proficiency (ELP) Levels 1 through 4 score proficient or advanced on Virginia SOLs at the following rates:

Rates were established with reference to EL SOL pass rates in 2021-22.

Goal 5: Implement the use of valid assessment practices to identify ELs with disabilities. Ensure that ELs who are dually identified receive instruction and supports that simultaneously support language development and the functional and academic needs related to the disability.

EL Student Well-Being

Related key findings from 2022 EL data synthesis:

• ELs in APS who are reclassified as English proficient have similar course-taking opportunities and similarly strong academic performance compared to students who were never identified for EL
• The EL identification process is inconsistent, and that inconsistency may have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Parents and families of ELs in APS report having an incomplete understanding of the services and supports their child receives for English language development, and they are eager for more depth of information across the board.

Goal 6: Ensure ELs have a safe, welcoming, and inclusive environment that honors the cultural and linguistic assets they bring to the classroom and school.

Goal 7: Increase EL student opportunities to participate in academic and nonacademic programs with both ELs and non-ELs throughout the day.

Leadership and Capacity Building

Related key findings from 2022 EL data synthesis:

• While APS can leverage many staff with specific EL qualifications and expertise, there is not yet a universal shared sense that ELs are the responsibility of all staff.
• EL-focused professional development is well received by teachers yet could be expanded and prioritized to address district-wide capacity to serve ELs.

Goal 8: Ensure district and school leaders set clear goals and foster a shared sense of responsibility for ELs’ academic success.

Goal 9: In staffing and master-schedule-development decisions, ensure district and school leaders prioritize EL access to rigorous content and instruction from prepared educators.

Goal 10: Articulate and provide a recommended sequence of professional development (PD) about serving ELs system wide that includes leadership, educators, and support staff. Ensure that professional learning for ELs is research-based, collaborative, clearly related to practice, and sustained.

Coherent and Effective Systems

Related key findings from 2022 EL data synthesis:

• The EL identification process is inconsistent, and that inconsistency may have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
• OEL offers guidance for program models intended to leverage staffing to serve ELs, but site-based implementation varies.

Goal 11: Improve the coherence and consistency of the EL identification and program placement process.

Goal 12: Ensure that EL program models are identified, selected, and implemented based on research and their appropriateness to the student population.

Goal 13: Ensure that EL staffing recommendations and implementation are equitable and that they maximize internal resources.

Family and Community Partnerships

Related key findings from 2022 EL data synthesis:

• Schools use a range of communication modes to engage and communicate with families of ELs, although sometimes information may be difficult for families to access.
• Bilingual family specialists play an integral role in sharing information and connecting families to their child’s school, but there may be a missed opportunity for them to have a district-wide
• Parents and families of ELs in APS report having an incomplete understanding of the services and supports their child receives for English language development, and they are eager for more depth of information across the board.
• Parents want more guidance and support so that they themselves can help their child master academic content.

Goal 14: Increase parents’ and families’ understanding of EL identification, services, and program options as well as parent and family understandings of special-education identification, evaluation process, and services (when relevant).

Goal 15: Improve the ways in which schools engage with families in culturally and linguistically responsive ways to share information, gather input, and involve them in their child’s education.

Goal 16: Leverage community partners and their positions within the local EL community to understand and communicate with EL families.

For additional information or questions, please contact the Office of English Learners at 703-228-6095 or engage@apsva.us.